NewsLetter for June

(Posted on the LATE side by KC4GCK)

 

NORTH GEORGIA AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
June 2005

CALENDAR
June NGARC meeting:

Monday, June 20 at El Maguey Mexican Restaurant  just off the square in Dahlonega  on West Main Street (between the Holly Theater and the NGCSU campus).  6PM to eat, meeting at 7PM where we will discuss Field Day among other things.

Club Net:  Thursday nights, 8:30PM, 146.835 + T100 Dahlonega Repeater

Reminder:  Club dues of $10 are for the year Jan to Dec.  The Secretary or Treasurer will be collecting at the next meeting for 2005 for those of you not already paid up.  Also, please fill out one of the new NGARC club application forms even if you are a long time member so we will have your information for our records.  Diana is working up a roster for all the members.

Other June Ham Radio happenings:

June 4
Atlanta Radio Club Hamfest, Jim Miller Park, Smyrna, Google 'Atlanta Radio Club' for a map, directions, talk-in repeater and further information
June 11
ARRL June VHF QSO Party.  The FourLanders Contest Team W4NH will again go to MileHigh Campground in NC to do the contest Full Multi-Op, 6m thru 10 GHz.  If you are interested in going with us and contesting or just coming to see what its all about, contact K4SZ for info and directions.
June 25
ARRL Field Day, W4QQ NGARC at the Orchard on the Etowah River near Jay Bridge.  Further info later in this NL and at the June 20th meeting.

We are rapidly approaching Field Day Weekend. Everyone check your calendars and plan for the
weekend of June 24 & 25.  Complete information will be available at the meeting. (June 20 @ El
Maguey)

I have received several QSL Cards ideas for our October Special Events Station. All the paper
work for ARRL publication should be submitted by the next meeting. We need to start thinking
about schedules and equipment. The Chamber of Commerce has indicated that we can use one corner of their balcony for our station. Bring your QSL sketches and ideas to the next meeting.

Also at the next meeting we will be discussing honorary memberships to our organization. There
are several individuals in our community that I feel should be included in information about
our group but would not actively participate in the normal club activities.

If you have any items that you want included on the June meeting agenda or if you have any suggestions for programs at our meetings, please feel free to call me at

(706) 864-0410 or e-mail me at TPCrowell@rader.com .

See ya'll soon, TomCrowell KD4DK

Emergency Communications Report

Chief Op Pete at N4KHQ has donated an antenna for our emcomm station at the Lumpkin County Emergency Services Center.  Chief Op Bob at K4SZ donated the coax.  Chief Op Ivan at K4VJM  did the calculations for optimizing the position of the antenna on the tower, and fabricated  the
mount.  Ivan installed the assembly on their tower, and ran the coax into the building. 

Thanks to Pete for the antenna, Bob for the coax and to Ivan for his time and energy installing it.
Don Seabolt, Director of Emergency Services, and Chief Op at KE4VDX has provided a secure space for our station, and  he is eager to see it  up and running.   It is now up to us to complete the cable installation, and assemble the station equipment.  Be prepared to discuss these issues and take the necessary actions at the meeting.  I would like for our EC, Dave, to report to Don within a few days following the meeting that this station is operational.

73, Russ, W4YKF

Field Day:  Everyone has again agreed that they wanted to participate in Field Day and set-up at the orchard location.  Directions at the end of the NL.  We have several commitments for equipment and station set-up so far.  I have even had volunteers to help me mow the area beforehand.  We will also spray for flies and mosquitoes like we did last year.  There were no flies whatever the reason!!  I don't think we'll ever know for sure what caused the plague of flies the year before.   We will have a PSK-31 station this year courtesy of Jim KG4WLA and Jim W4KXY has again agreed to bring the 6m station.  I'll supply one station and I have talked to some other friends about bringing yet another station.  We may try class 3A this year.  We also will have some Boy Scouts camping out with us and observing the radio operations.  They will be brought and supervised by Art Chase KC4FRV.  I think we'll have plenty of help for setting up the equipment and antennas as usual.  I think Jeff W0ONR is
going to be cooking again, but if someone else wants to volunteer to help with the cooking duties, I'm sure Jeff won't complain.  We hope he will make the traditional great breakfast for Sunday morning as usual though.  We will further discuss FD at the next meeting.  For new folks or anyone who hasn't participated in FD, it is the best of Ham Radio learning experiences.  Where else can you see so much equipment and antennas being set-up and operated and opportunities to operate those radios yourself and ask questions.  Sometimes it seems a little intense, but we are out there to have fun.  It's not really a contest, but an experience for all who attend as operators, helpers or visitors.  Even all the guys who sit around in the shade and swap lies have a great time.  BE THERE!

FIELD DAY SITE DIRECTIONS:  (Paved road all the way to the last left into the Orchard)

Left on Hiway 60 N into Dahlonega at the end of GA400.  Over Crown Mountain to traffic light at Hwy 60 and intersection of 9 and 52. Left on the Dahlonega bypass (Morrrison Moore Parkway) which is Hwy 52 & 9 W, several miles to go on past Buckhorn Grocery (closed) then turn Right on
Siloam Church Road.  (You will see signs to Etowah River Campground). About 3 miles to turn left on Rider Mill Road (also with a sign to campground). Keep going straight past the campground entrance on Rider Mill.  At the fork in the road  right where you cross a creek, go left (this is now Jay Bridge Road - no signs).  About a mile of fields on the left and all woods on the right, you'll finally see a field on the right and the entrance  immediately on the left into the orchard.  It is the only left there.  There is a fence post at the entrance.  If you miss it and go all the way to Jay bridge, just come back to the first right that you can get into up the hill and around the first curve.  Pull in and you should be able to see us in the field from there.

Optional directions if coming from Business Hiway 19N out of Dahlonega:
Take Oak Grove road (next left after the Wagon Wheel) till it ends at Siloam Road.  Go straight on Jay Bridge Road and after passing Bryant road take the right fork at the creek which is Jay Bridge Road but no signs out there.  Then follow above directions from the fork.  I'll try to put some direction signs out too.